Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.56 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.56 births per woman
Change on year
down 6.0%
World rank
141st
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.18 births per woman
in 1971
All-time low
1.56 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in New Zealand, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 1.56 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 22.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in New Zealand peaked at 3.18 births per woman in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.56 births per woman, in 2023.
That places New Zealand 141st out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.17 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 3.18 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 3 births per woman | -5.7% |
| 1973 | 2.76 births per woman | -8.0% |
| 1974 | 2.58 births per woman | -6.5% |
| 1975 | 2.37 births per woman | -8.1% |
| 1976 | 2.27 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1977 | 2.21 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 2.07 births per woman | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 2.12 births per woman | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 2.03 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1981 | 2.01 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 1.95 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1983 | 1.92 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 1.93 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 1.93 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1.96 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 2.03 births per woman | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 2.1 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 2.12 births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 2.18 births per woman | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 2.09 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 1992 | 2.06 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 2.04 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 1.98 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 1.98 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.96 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 1.96 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.89 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 1.97 births per woman | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 1.98 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 1.97 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 1.89 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 1.93 births per woman | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 1.98 births per woman | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 1.97 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 2.01 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 2.18 births per woman | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 2.19 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 2.13 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 2.17 births per woman | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 2.09 births per woman | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 2.1 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 2.01 births per woman | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 1.92 births per woman | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 1.99 births per woman | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 1.87 births per woman | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 1.81 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 1.71 births per woman | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 1.72 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 1.61 births per woman | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 1.64 births per woman | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 1.66 births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 1.56 births per woman | -6.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1.56 births per woman is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.49 births per woman, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 1.56 births per woman is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13 births per woman, 73% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.57 births per woman | 2.07 births per woman | 3.18 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 2 births per woman | 1.92 births per woman | 2.12 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.01 births per woman | 1.89 births per woman | 2.18 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.02 births per woman | 1.89 births per woman | 2.19 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.94 births per woman | 1.71 births per woman | 2.17 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.62 births per woman | 1.56 births per woman | 1.66 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 138 Iceland 1.59 births per woman compare
- 139 Antigua and Barbuda 1.58 births per woman compare
- 140 Maldives 1.57 births per woman compare
- 141 United Kingdom 1.56 births per woman compare
- 143 Azerbaijan 1.55 births per woman compare
- 143 Malaysia 1.55 births per woman compare
More population data for New Zealand
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -14.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0739 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,949 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.628 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.191 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.077 (2100)
- Population density 22.07 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 256,010 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in New Zealand?
- Fertility rate, total in New Zealand was 1.56 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 3.18 births per woman in 1971.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.56 births per woman in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for fertility rate, total?
- New Zealand ranks 141st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release